Clowns

***Melbourne punks CLOWNS have never been ones to conform. The five-piece started life in 2010 as a more-or-less straightforward hardcore punk act, but over the course of their first three albums—2013’s I’m Not Right, 2015’s Bad Blood and 2017’s Lucid Again—they have steadily evolved and mutated their sound in whatever direction they felt like. It has always been loud but has become more nuanced over the years. The Fat Wreck debut Nature / Nurture continues down this snaking path—it’s 11 songs swerving right and left abruptly, veering from frenetic punk to slower more psychedelic-tinged rock, all while remaining a cohesive amalgamation of their three previous albums. While Nature / Nurture does contain some blistering, bellicose pun, it also has some of the slowest and most experimental songs Clowns have ever recorded. This is punk rock with a difference, that uses traditional facets of that genre as a foundation, but then builds upon that to create something that’s both utterly unique and incredibly exciting. That coupled with their intricate musicianship, clever, incisive lyrics and their phenomenally high energy live shows Clowns are quickly becoming a crowd favorite around the globe.